5 Anderson Silva fights that should have but didn't happen in the UFC
Anderson Silva's UFC tenure is remembered fondly. He was one of the most entertaining fighters to watch due to how he competed in the octagon. Silva made many top fighters look like amateurs with his unorthadox striking and his unpredictable movements.
'The Spider' is a former middleweight champion and during his title reign, he separated himself from the rest. He seemed unbeatable during his prime and it showed through his spectacular finishes. Not only was he dominant at middleweight, but he even made his fights at 205lbs look easy.
Silva earned a reputation for being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He was also, and still is, in the discussion for being one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time.
Although he fought most of the notable fighters from different generations, there were still opponents that he didn't face, who would have made for entertaining bouts. This list will look at five Anderson Silva fights that could've but didn't happen in the UFC.
#5 Anderson Silva vs. former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Machida, former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion, 3rd-dan Shotokan karate black belt and BJJ black belt. Currently signed to Bellator, and is fighting at LHW. An absolute legend. https://t.co/16VI3B9ekD
The UFC had plenty of opportunities to book Anderson Silva vs. Lyoto Machida. The former light heavyweight champion was unbeaten and brought a unique skillset to the octagon. He comes from a karate background, which made his striking and kicks a big threat to his opponents.
Like Silva, 'The Dragon' had unpredictable movements and was difficult to prepare for. He was capable of tricking his opponents who were more wrestling oriented into shooting for takedowns at the wrong time. This was on full display when Machida knocked out Hall of Famer Randy Couture with a front-kick to the face.
'Spider' vs. 'Dragon' could have been realistic at either 185lbs or 205lbs. They each split their time competing in two different weight-divisions, but a bout between them never came to fruition. It could have been a fun technical striking masterclass for fans.